Cyanobacteria are prokaryotes capable of photoautotrophy. Cyanobacteria can be genetically enhanced to use light and CO2 to produce compounds of interest such as biofuels, industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, nutrients, carotenoids, and food supplements. Various cyanobacterial strains have been genetically enhanced to produce compounds of interest. Carbon dioxide that is used by cyanobacteria can be derived from any source, such as a waste byproduct of industrial production. In this way, cyanobacteria can be used to recycle CO2 to compounds of interest.
The transformation of the cyanobacterial genus Synechococcus with genes that encode enzymes that can produce ethanol for biofuel production has been described (U.S. Patent Nos. 6,699,696 and 6,306,639, both to Woods et al.). The transformation of the cyanobacterial genus Synechocystis has been described, for example, in PCT/EP2009/000892 and in PCT/EP2009/060526.
The cyanobacterial genus Cyanobacterium was first established in 1983 (see Rippka et al. (2001), Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Vol. 1, p. 497-498). In general, the genus differs from the genus Synechococcus by differences in DNA base composition and by differences in sensitivity to cyanophages (Moro, et al., 2007, Algological Studies, 123:1-15). Members of the Cyanobacterium genus are often found in thermal mats.